


Silver Crosses and Burning Coffins

by JustAboveInsanity



Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: AU, F/F, more characters will be added as the fic goes on i guess, rating might change but also might not we'll see, rn it's only these three and 1 other person who i cant list yet bc spoilerssss
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-18
Updated: 2018-10-22
Packaged: 2019-08-03 20:39:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16333067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustAboveInsanity/pseuds/JustAboveInsanity
Summary: "Over the centuries humans had taken a shining to the holiday, warping it from the old traditions into something new and exciting. Or, new and exciting to those of the supernatural variety, who’d been out of the flow on humanity’s evolution. Violet found the whole practice intriguing, and despite the ages of caution etched into her head, she desperately wanted to draw herself closer; to be a part of this new custom, disguised among humans, partying as though her heart still beat.Of course, such a dream was not realistic."Mythical creature(?) AU where Violet is a vampire and Clementine is a werewolf she runs into.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be a oneshot, but I was running out of steam hardcore and just decided to post it anyway. With any luck, the whole fic will be finished and uploaded before or on Halloween.
> 
> If you want to bother me about this fic or any others, you can @ me or message me on my tumblrs; my main blog is aggravatedanarchy and my art blog, where I would prefer to post about fics, is aggravatedanarchistart.

Soft, silver streams of moonlight danced across the forest floor, slipping in where the dying autumn leaves could not reach, despite how the warped trees seemed to strain in their desire for life- for light. The twisted, knotted branches overhead formed a solid canopy to hide away the moon’s beautiful glow, instead leaving a deep darkness across the forest floor, speckles of bright light occasionally appearing like fallen stars. It was almost as beautiful as the sky above, only visible in fleeting moments where the wind blew strong enough to shake the brittle branches.

Aside from the natural hum of life teeming amidst the brush, far in the distance, the faint sound of children’s laughter and music could be heard. There was a small settlement to the north, likely celebrating Halloween with the rest of their kind. Over the centuries humans had taken a shining to the holiday, warping it from the old traditions into something new and exciting. Or, new and exciting to those of the supernatural variety, who’d been out of the flow on humanity’s evolution. Violet found the whole practice intriguing, and despite the ages of caution etched into her head, she desperately wanted to draw herself closer; to be a part of this new custom, disguised among humans, partying as though her heart still beat.

Of course, such a dream was not realistic. There were too many variables to try and predict. While she had gathered that costumes and the like were common for this event, she was certain her clothes were far too obvious in their age and disrepair. Her cloak was riddled with holes, tattered and torn from when she dug herself out of the burning rubble of her home, eternal rest interrupted by the lick of flames and the freshly broken seal on her coffin. The rest of her clothes were in a similar state, but they were also heavily coated with dust and soot, causing her to cough and hack with every motion she made for the first week outside.

Of course, that had been many moons ago. She meant to exchange her clothes at some point for something more modern, (though she did love her cloak dearly,) but the night she awoke was the start of a very long game of cat and mouse. In her day and age, she would have enjoyed such games, but she was no longer the cat in this scenario. Disoriented and weak from her centuries-long slumber (and starved of blood to boot,) she had been attacked by some cocky wanna-be monster hunter. Had she the energy then, she would have ended him in an instant, wiping that smug smirk off his face forever. But she had not intended to reawaken, and had not planned for such an event if it were to occur. A glaring mistake, now that she looked back upon it; she had been forced to run into the night, the stinging embers of her home bathing the surrounding woods in a sinister red glow. She knew the hunter could catch up if she dared to stop for very long, and fearing what might await her in true death, she kept herself moving into the unknown.

Violet shivered, preferring not to continue along that train of thought. It never brought her anywhere pleasant, and the distraction wasn’t helpful on a night such as this. She needed to stay alert, especially this close to a town, where any human could cross her path on the winding dirt trail. Of course, if she did run into a human, she  _ could  _ drink from them, but the thought left her stomach in knots, conflicted. She wasn’t sure if she’d be able to stop herself from taking too much,  _ if she could control herself at all _ , and before she’d been sealed away she vowed never to kill without reason again. Human life was precious; that’s what Minerva had taught her, telling her tales from the world outside Violet’s lair, keeping her up to date on human politics and the like. It left a dull ache in her chest, despite how her betraying heart could not beat.

There was a crackle up ahead- dead leaves and branches snapping underfoot. The vampire froze in her tracks, hoping whatever was ahead lacked the night vision she graciously had been given. Whatever was along the path before her kept moving until it was actually on the path, muttering about something under its breath. Violet took a hesitant step forward, ears straining to assess the potential threat.

“God damn Carver and his fucking-” the voice started to become more clear, a humanoid silhouette visible beneath a stray bream of light, if only for a moment. “Asshole deserves to rot. Keeps coming for AJ and I’ll-” The sentence gave way to a frustrated growl, and the figure turned to slam their fist into the nearest tree. Violet didn’t miss the creak of wood that followed, anxiously noticing the lack of snapping bones to accompany it. This certainly wasn’t a human, unless that particular tree was very, very weak.

The figure stopped, posture straightening as they sniffed the air. They spun around, arms raised with fists clenched tight, and glared in the direction of the immortal. “Come forward, now. Don’t try to run, you won’t get far.”

Their tone was cold, carrying an edge that Violet dared not test. She hesitated only for a moment before slowly making her way towards the figure, hands raised defensively. “I- I don’t want any trouble,” she started, wincing at the pain in her throat. Her voice was rough and scratchy from years without use, and she strained to keep it at an audible volume. “Some- some asshole is following me, so please, just let me go.”

The stranger seemed to think it over, visible becoming less tense as they slowly lowered their fists. “I’d smell them coming, we’ve got time. What’s your name?”

“How about yours first?” The vampire shot back, glowing green eyes narrowed as she grimaced. Talking was a real pain.

“Fine. Clementine; Clementine Everett. Now you.”

“... Violet. Just Violet, for now.” She wasn’t eager to reveal her full name, unsure on whether or not her family name still held weight in either human or supernatural circles. The risk was simply too high; she got the feeling she didn’t want to be on this girl’s bad side.

Clementine crossed her arms, eyes narrowed before finally giving a shrug. “Alright then, keep your secrets.” She stepped closer, hesitating at the vampire’s wince, before sniffing the air again. “You aren’t human, are you?”

The question was presented innocently enough, but even if it had been asked in less kind tones, the vampire saw little reason to deny it. Whatever this girl was, she already knew the answer to that question; she was probably just asking to see if Violet wanted to come clean.

The vampire gave a small nod, looking anxiously into the forest around them. “Vampire.”

“Werewolf,” the taller of the two supplied, taking in the other’s worn out state. She seemed to be thinking something over, scratching under her chin with a small hum. “No offense, but you look like someone just pulled you straight out of hell. Sound like it too.”

Violet gave a small chuckle, which broke off into a cough. Clementine gave her a concerned look, but was met with a grimace and a small shake of her head in return. “Yeah, that’s not far off. If you want to keep interrogating me, can we go somewhere else? I don’t exactly,” she paused and raised an arm to her mouth, choking back another cough as she looked around once more. “I don’t feel safe out here. And I’m not sure how much longer I can keep talking like this.”

The werewolf weighed her options, toying with the end of her baseball cap. “I guess I can do that, yeah. If someone really is following you, it wouldn’t be wise to stick around.” Clementine kicked up some dirt with her boots, frowning. “Stick close and don’t try anything. In your state I could probably snap you like a toothpick, but I’d prefer not to.”

Nodding obediently, Violet walked alongside Clementine, feeling more at ease despite the fact that she knew nothing about this strange werewolf.  _ I guess if she wanted to kill me she’d have done it already, _  she reasoned, pushing herself to relax a little.  _ Politics between vampires and werewolves have always been rocky, but based on how she didn’t immediately put her claws against my throat, I guess things must be pretty smooth going right now. Maybe while I’m here she can help get me up to date, or point me towards the nearest gateway. Would finally shake that pesky hunter off my trail. _  Violet slouched over as they trudged on, glancing over at her newfound company now and again.

_ Maybe this won’t be so bad. _

 

* * *

 

Clementine had led the vampire through the forest with ease, leaving the main trail in favor of more overgrown paths, and leaving Violet with a few dozen burrs and thorns embedded in her cloak. She grimaced at the uncomfortable addition, but was slowly coming to terms with her inability to keep the once treasured article of clothing; there was no way she’d be able to fix it without the proper fabric, and at this point the time and money necessary just didn’t make it worth the effort.

She pulled a burr out off of her pants, flicking it back into the undergrowth before walking straight into her guide, letting out a surprised grunt. Violet looked up, a question already on her tongue, but stopped before it could leave her lips. Her eyes widened as she took a step around the werewolf, mouth gaping open in awe.

There were dozens of little houses, all alight with a pleasant orange glow, either from within or from festive lights strung around porches and trees. Some yards were more decorated than others, with fake tombstones and spiderwebs strewn about- skeletons and coffins, sheet ghosts and paper ghouls. With the exception of just a few houses, which had their lights shut off and bowls left outside, almost all the homes had pumpkins sitting out front, carved with wicked or cute faces and glowing with candle light from within. Violet was amazed by the spectacle, so caught up in committing every little detail that she hardly noticed Clementine’s amused grin.

“What? Never seen the mundane participate in a little Halloween fun?”

Violet snapped out of her trance, taking her eyes off the locals children that were running eagerly from door to door, creating a surprisingly pleasant din to mix in with the faint sound of someone’s “spooky” music a few blocks away.

“Uh, no, actually,” she started, looking up at the werewolf with a frown. “Last time I was among the living, people were still wary of this stuff. It’s been.. I don’t know how long it’s been.”

Clementine’s grin fell into a pitying frown, and the vampire shifted her gaze to the ground to finally break the eye contact. “That’s kind of sad. How long were you-”

“Not here. Inside, please?”

The interruption seemed to throw the lycan off, but she relented, nodding while noting the vampire’s pained, fearful tone. She hesitated before taking Violet’s hand, pulling the startled girl along behind her as she made for a smaller house near where they’d left the woods from. The back of the house was facing them, but it had a gate that was left wedged open, presumably for the werewolf to come back in without being detected. She opened it all the way before releasing Violet’s hand, gesturing for the vampire to go ahead.

Once they were both in the backyard, Clementine closed and locked the gate behind them, pulling a key out of her pocket. She turned and made her way to the door, stepping over a few discarded toys and fallen branches that were littered throughout the yard. Violet did her best to avoid them too, nearly stumbling over some weird vegetable shaped thing and huffing with irritation when her cloak got caught on a branch.

By the time she’d wrenched it free, Clementine had already unlocked the door, watching with mild amusement as the vampire struggled. The blonde simple flipped the other girl off, knowing that if her blood still flowed, she’d be sporting an embarrassed blush. Stomping up to the door she crossed her arms, pouting in a way that the werewolf was almost tempted to call cute. Almost. She didn’t feel like teasing the immortal too much, at least not until she had calmed down.

“You gonna let me in, wolfy?” Violet croaked, voice becoming more scratched and low as time went on. She really needed to fix that.

“Oh, sorry. Forgot about that, uh, issue.” Clementine scratched the back of her neck, appearing slightly flushed at her blunder. “Welcome to my house? Come on in. Does that work? Sorry I don’t know how this works.”

Violet rolled her eyes, offering a small smile as she stepped on through the doorway. She couldn’t help but look around, taking the area in as the door was locked back up and the lights were gradually turned on. The back door seemed to be in a little dining area connected to a fairly sizable kitchen, the two only really separated by a small bar with a few stools pushed beneath it.  _ Cozy _ , the vampire thought, moving on from the rooms as she followed her host.

Clementine was seated in what the vampire assumed was the living room, leaning back into a rather soft looking red couch cushion while unzipping her boots. The werewolf didn’t even look up as she patted the spot next to her with a free hand, tossing one of her boots to the side.

“Well don’t just stand there. Feels weird having a guest stare me down and keep upright when they look so worn out.”

“Where should I put this?”

Clementine looked up and saw that Violet had removed her cloak, revealing an equally battered white button-up shirt that had various stains on it. Some even appeared to be bloodstains, which she took note of with a frown. “Throw it wherever, I guess. There’s a chair in the corner you could put it on.”

Violet nodded and put her cloak across the chair, rubbing at her arms before returning and taking the previously offered seat.

The two were quiet for a moment while the vampire took in more of the room (like the coffee table in front of them, a weird bag looking thing in the far corner of the room, and a few.. Well, she wasn’t sure what they were,) and Clementine took in more of the vampire, noticing a lot of little details now that they were seated in proper lighting (things like a necklace that was tucked into the vampire’s shirt, how said shirt was missing a couple of buttons towards the top, the way the vampire’s hair seemed to be haphazardly cut- all uneven and sloppy but fitting and rather attractive if she let herself thing about it that way- but the most concerning detail was a dark bruise that seemed to sit along what little was visible of the vampire’s collar; shouldn’t that have healed?)

Violet suddenly turned to look at her and Clementine blinked, trying not to appear startled as she sat upright. The blonde raised a brow, conveying her confusion as best she could, but the werewolf just raised a brow of her own as answer, prompting another eye roll. They both flashed their own smiles, Clementine’s large and lasting while Violet’s was brief and small, though equally sincere.

“So, ready to talk?”

Violet opened her mouth to reply and promptly grimaced, a hand shooting to her throat before she shook her head. Clementine looked around before her eyes caught on a notepad she’d left out earlier, the pen that accompanied it a bit off to the side. She gave the two to the vampire, who took them with a confused expression.

“Write down what I can give you for that. I don’t really know a lot about what vampires can and can’t have? Like, I know you need blood, but I don’t know if you guys can drink other stuff if it’s just for things like a sore throat.”

The vampire nodded slowly, opening the notepad to an empty page while idly adjusting the pen in her hand. Once she could hold it comfortably she started writing, the letters somewhat shaky but still legible in a rather pretty handwriting. She handed off the notepad to Clementine, keeping the pen to idly fidget with.

_ I can. Tastes like shit and won’t do anything for the fatigue, though. If you have any animal blood and can mix in a drop of it or something that’ll help. I can eat or drink whatever but it tastes like ash unless it has blood mixed in. The amount of blood effects how much of the original taste I get to enjoy. _

“Alright, can do. I think I have steak in the fridge, should be able to get some blood out of that.” Clementine rose from the couch, setting the notepad back on the coffee table. “Be back in a sec, try not to mess with anything I guess?”

Violet nodded and focused on the pen in her hand, twirling it around without much thought or effort. Eventually she started looking around the rest of the room, already growing familiar with it, but eager to find anything she might’ve missed in her initial sweep. She unconsciously lifted the pen to her mouth, fangs gently tapping the clear plastic as she bit down.

The carpet was a light grey color, some parts of it darker where the vampire assumed something was spilled and refused to be properly cleaned up, and other parts were pale, leading her to believe that the room had been recently rearranged. Moving up from the floor, the walls were lined with wooden planks, all a dark purple-ish brown, from a type of wood that Violet wasn’t quite sure she could identify. She removed her hand from the pen and crossed her arms, shifting it around with her tongue while she continued her gnawing.

Across the room, mounted above a small fireplace that the vampire had somehow missed entirely, was a large, reflective black square, hung at a slight angle to face down towards the couch. Violet briefly marveled at her warped reflection, unable to see much, but surprised to see anything at all. She made a mental note to ask about it later, gaze shifting to settle on a shelf. It was just a small, thin white board held up along the wall with a couple of books resting upon it. There was also a small little succulent in a pot with the letters A and J sloppily painted on the side, which the vampire smiled at. Next to it, however, was something less cute and more badass, looking both out of place and perfect where it was resting. It was a bleached cat skull, jaw and teeth all intact.  _ Wicked. _

The pen creaked beneath her teeth but Violet paid it little mind, giving one last sweep to the room. There wasn’t much else of note; just discarded and haphazardly arranged jackets, some of which definitely didn’t belong to the werewolf (at least, as far as she could tell- they were either far too big or far too small, and she wasn’t willing to walk over and pick up the scents when her host could round the corner at any second.) Caught up in her examination, the vampire didn’t hear Clementine’s approach. Rather, she could smell it, pupils shrinking into thin slits while her olive eyes took on a golden tint. In the sudden, involuntary tensing that followed, the pen shattered in her mouth, startling her out of her frenzied state.

“Fuck,” she managed to choked out, spitting out shards of plastic with a grimace. There was black ink dripping down her chin and all over her hands as the vampire scowled, trying to get the fluid out of her mouth. For once she was thankful for her cursed state, preferring the thick taste of ash to whatever the foul smelling ink would’ve tasted like.

“Shit, are you alright?” Clementine set down the glass in her hands, crouching down in front of her guest to assess the damage. She didn’t give much thought to swiping her thumb over a glob of ink that was running down from the corner of Violet’s mouth, grimacing at the smear. “I’ll get  a washcloth or something, try not to get the ink on the couch. And, uh,” she looked around quickly before shaking her head, grabbing the notepad from earlier and tearing out a couple of the back pages. “Set the shards and the rest of the pen parts on this, I guess. I’ll be right back.”

And off again she went, leaving the frazzled vampire to blink slowly at where the werewolf once was.  _ Werewolves sure do warm up to people quickly, huh?  _ Violet sighed and started setting the pieces of the ruined pen on the paper, tongue running over her teeth to get the ink off.  _ At least it wasn’t red ink. That’d probably suck worse. _

She placed the last shard of plastic (that she could find) down just as Clementine returned to the room, a pair of washcloths in hand. She offered one to Violet as she sat down beside her on the couch.

“Give me the hand you want ink free first. I can scrub it off while you take care of your face, that way you can hold the glass without mucking it up.”

Violet gave an indignant huff, but nodded nonetheless, offering up her right hand to the lycan while she got to work. She tried not to focus on how soft and warm the other girl’s hands were, or how gentle she was being as she rubbed at the stained skin. Instead she focused on the drink Clementine had brought her, noting the deep red tint the water had taken on. It prompted a soft smile, an achingly familiar memory coming to mind before she shoved it down.

When Clementine was done she nodded her thanks, pausing to take a greedy gulp of the bloody water. She didn’t immediately feel anything, but after a few seconds a very small amount of warmth came to her skin, and she couldn’t fight down the relieved grin that spread across her face. It wasn’t much, but she already felt leagues better- less like she was a glorified walking corpse, more like an exhausted scholar. She took another, smaller, gulp before putting the glass back down. A pleasant lively buzz slowly started to spread through her.

“Thank you. Gods, it feels good to talk again.” Violet’s voice was still raspy and soft, but it no longer felt like there was glass embedded in her throat, and she was loving it. She turned to face the werewolf, rolling her eyes at the large grin the other girl was wearing. “Don’t get too excited, wolfy. You’re probably going to regret giving me that about ten minutes in, if we even get that far.”

“Nah, I won’t regret it. I know it’s still kinda fucked up, but your voice is way too pretty to regret giving it back to you.”

The vampire felt her face starting to warm up as she watched Clementine’s expression turn smug, and she allowed herself to be briefly thankful that she hadn’t gotten enough blood back into her system to give her a visible blush. She looked away, trying to conceal a bashful smile.

“You always flirt with the random strangers you find in the woods?”

“Only the cute ones. Though it sounds worse when you put it like that.. I can stop if it makes you uncomfortable. Guess being friendly and, well, flirty, is a sort of.. Impulsive werewolf thing?” Clementine frowned and shrugged, leaning back into the couch. “How about we get to know each other better? Then we won’t be strangers anymore.”

Violet rolled her eyes, holding back a small amount of disappointment.  _ Yeah, flirting and friendless are werewolf things, I guess. Usually only with other werewolves, but I guess a lot could have changed, socially, since I was last- _  “Hey, what year is it?” She sat upright as she asked the question, eyes widening.  _ How long was I out for? _

“Trying to figure out how much time you lost?” Clementine took off her baseball cap to run a hand through her hair, watching the vampire carefully. “It’s probably been a while for you, I guess. It’s 2018; A.D., of course.”

Violet’s eyes widened, a hand slowly raising to cup over her mouth. She stared in shock at the floor for a moment, trying to think of something to say.

“Shit.”

Well, that would have to do.

Looking concerned, the werewolf leaned forward, gently setting a hand on the vampire’s shoulder. “Are you… okay? How long were you-”

“I- I think it was, like, the 1700s. Shit. You’re not joking?” Her voice grew more desperate as she went on, the hand that had been over her mouth sliding up to tug at her messy blonde hair.

“Yeah. That’s- jesus, that’s at most a little over 300 years. What were you doing for 300 years?”

“I had myself sealed up in a coffin. Strong magic, I guess. I wasn’t supposed to wake up; it was supposed to keep me under forever, without me having to- … You know.” Violet took a deep breath to calm herself, but immediately felt rage begin to rattle in her chest as she glared down at the carpet. “Some fuckhead broke into my tomb. Must’ve blown my castle to shit and torched what was left. I don’t know if he intentionally broke the seal or if some rubble managed to, but it wasn’t a pleasant wake-up call, that’s for damn sure.” Her nails dug painfully into the palm of her clenched fist, barely breaking the skin.

Clementine’s eyes gleamed with a sympathetic sorrow, and she moved closer to give the vampire a weird side hug. Violet looked up briefly, rage dying down a bit to provide what she hoped translated as an appreciative stare.

“Is the guy following you the same guy who woke you up?”

Violet nodded slowly, frowning. “Yeah, should be. I haven’t really risked stopping to find out. The way he was dressed.. I’m fairly certain he wanted me awake. He was armed to the teeth with stakes, and wearing this massive coat. I get the feeling there was more inside it, like, silver crosses or holy water or something,” she scratched at the back of her neck, trying to relax her now bleeding hand as she grabbed her drink. “His face was so god damn smug. He had to have known I was there, somehow, and was willing to be flashy if it meant he got to bring me true death.” She took a few gulps of the blood and raised her free hand to her throat, nails ghosting against the fragile expanse.

“And his eyes. They were, well, weird. Wild, unhinged. But they were different colors, too, I think. I felt like I shouldn’t look at them for long, so I crawled out and I ran until you found me.” She bared her fangs in an angered hiss, fighting the urge to grind her teeth or dig her nails into whatever was closest. “I  _ know _  those eyes, somehow. I haven’t seen them, but I’ve heard of them, I know I have. But unless this asshole’s undead or deathless, there’s no reason I  _ should _  know them.”

Her voice was growing more hoarse as she spoke, the aggression increasing her volume to degrees that probably weren’t helping. Clementine noticed this and looked off to the side, a rage of her own steadily building. It wasn’t just her werewolf nature that made Clementine empathetic; she’d always been like that, trying her best to help where she could, feelings greatly influenced by those around her- perhaps more than they should, at times. But she felt that this was something reasonable to be upset about, even if she didn’t know Violet personally.

If this man was a legitimate monster hunter, this would be the first time any of them had dared to make such a gutsy move in centuries, the last time happening a good century and a half before Violet would have sealed herself up. If the hunter wasn’t a lone agent, it could be bad for everyone, and by getting involved, she’d probably put a target over her own head as well.

She’d take him on herself, fairly confident in her abilities, but from the sound of it? This man was far too dangerous to go against blind and alone. He’d blown up a goddamn castle to get to one,  _ contained _  vampire, and was simply following her- toying with her- instead of killing her, like any other monster hunter would do. He was playing by a different set of rules than the rest, valuing the thrill of the hunt to “protecting the pure from the wicked.” It made her uneasy, and if she was currently donning it, she knew her fur would be bristling.

Clementine looked back to the vampire, gaze softening. “I can ask around, if you want. During the day. You can stay here and hide out; I can even ask a good friend of mine to watch over the house or keep you company while I’m out. Whoever this guy is, there are other people in town who need to know. So we can protect ourselves, should he try anything.”

Violet hesitated, and for a moment the werewolf thought she would argue, but she ultimately just sighed and nodded her head. Clementine smiled and gave a reassuring squeeze before removing her arm. She tried not to read into the flash of disappointment that crossed the vampire’s face, rising to her feet.

“Time for something lighter! You really need to change out of those clothes.”

The blonde looked up, eyes narrowed, but Clementine cut her off before she could protest.

“I know you probably really dig those, but they need to be washed. A few separate times. Maybe a dozen,” she gestured deftly to all the soot stains, grinning as Violet scoffed. “They’ll also need to be fixed up. I know someone who’s good at that stuff, so after we wash them I can take ‘em to her. In the meantime, you need something else to wear. And not just for in the house, either. When the sun’s down, you’re gonna need something to walk around in, so I can introduce you to people and whatnot.

“But don’t worry,” Clementine gave an almost sinister smile, eyes narrowed as she suppressed a small laugh. “I have something in mind.”

Violet’s expression twisted into something laced heavily with fear, and very briefly, she found herself almost wanting to take her chances with the hunter out in the wilderness.

_ This is either going to be the worst or best decision I ever made. And based on that expression, I’ve very concerned. _

 

* * *

 

“Well,” she began softly, speaking mostly to herself as she eyed her reflection skeptically. “Bizarre by the standards of my time, but really comfortable. Good think Clem’s first outfit was too small.”

The first set of clothes that had been thrown her way were so awful she dared not waste any time memorizing them, though she did smugly recall Clementine’s disheartened pout when the vampire hadn’t even been able to get the shirt on without ripping it nearly in half. The werewolf wasn’t sure if it had just been too small or if Violet had tapped into her strength to get rid of the offending article once and for all, but she knew the vampire was pleased either way.

Instead, she’d been forced to retrieve more suitable clothing, which actually appealing greatly to the immortal. For now, she was restricted to pajamas; plush, purple flannel pants and a loose fitted grey shirt that sported a very faded design on the front. Violet wasn’t quite sure what it was supposed to be, but her best guess was that it was something vampire related, based on how Clementine had visibly perked up upon finding it. She opted to let the werewolf have her small victory since she’d already destroyed one of her shirts and didn’t want to upset her host by shredding another.

She glared into the mirror, analyzing her appearance with a grimace, before leaving the bathroom, old clothes tucked neatly under her arm. Clementine looked up as Violet reentered the living room, giving the girl a once-over.

“Looks good! Are they comfy enough, or should I root around some more?”

“These fit fine,” Violet wrapped her old clothes with the tattered cloak and set them back down into the chair, rubbing at her arms with a frown. “I have a question though. That mirror, in your bathroom? Is it not lined with silver?”

“No. A lot of antique ones are, but they stopped doing that a while back I think. Why?”

“Hm. It’s just, I haven’t been able to see my reflection in a while. I’m not used to it yet, but it’s.. It’s nice.” She uncrossed her arms and shrugged, moving to sit back down on the couch.

Clementine nodded thoughtfully, lifting her legs up onto the couch so she could sit with them crossed. She let a comfortable silence settle between them for a moment before turning to face Violet, amber eyes gleaming with excitement.

“How about I get you up to speed on modern stuff? You can ask me questions here and there as we go! I know a fair bit about history since a friend of mine teaches it, so anything I can’t answer for you, he probably can.”

“Sure, go for it. Maybe start with the human stuff, since it’s way less complex.” Violet grimaced at the prospect of having to go over all the preternatural history she had missed over the years. 300 years wasn’t that much, in the long scheme of things, but their affairs outnumbered human affairs two to one; there were just so many subcultures to cover, all with needlessly complicated fluctuations.

Theoretical immortality came with the distinct con of consistent boredom and monotony, so there was little doubt in her mind that vampires alone hadn’t been up to some major bullshit over the years, just among themselves. Different kinds of vampires had different problems, after all, and a lot of them clashed in a mad scramble for power. Last she’d been around, a rocky peace had finally been established, with some Nosferatu speaking and acting as the head of all vampires on a global scale. Now, there was simply no way of telling; for all she knew, the Malkavians had risen to power again.

_ Though, that would be pretty entertaining. In a “let’s see how long it takes before we enter another war” sort of way. _

The werewolf nodded once, then began, reciting human history as if she was reading it straight out of a book. Violet tried to be as attentive as she could, despite how little history interested her after the first few centuries had gone by. She rested her chin in her hands and smiled, ready for one long history lesson.

 

* * *

 

“... and that’s all he’s done so far since getting into office, but people still support him. He and his whole board are just, awful, and I’ve totally got a really nice meme that explains the situation perfectly but I’m going to have to teach you what memes are before I can show it to you. It’s about as simplified as I can break down three whole centuries, really, without pulling out a timeline or something. Things really go to shit quick.”

Violet blinked a couple of times, her eyes narrowed in disbelief. “Are you fucking kidding me? How the fuck does he just- what?!”

“I know! I mean, just, ugh!” Clementine threw her hands up into the air, exasperated. She rubbed at her face and groaned, some of her hair falling down over her face now that she’d removed her cap. “It’s so bad! I want to fly off to New Zealand- or literally anywhere else. Sadly, I can’t. New Zealand’s preternatural society has currently barred werewolves from entry. Which is absolutely ridiculous, but after that whole fiasco I glossed over earlier, I get  _ why _ . Still sucks though.”

Violet gently patted Clementine’s shoulder, frowning slightly. “Maybe they’ll lift the ban soon? If not I can see if any of my old contacts are still kickin’.”

The lycan shrugged, falling back into the couch with a sigh. “I hope they do. I mean, it’s been years! And it was  _ one  _ guy. You can’t just ban an entire species because of one guy! That’s like, such a  _ human _  thing to do. We’re supposed to be better about this. We live long enough to see the patterns or some bullshit, make an exception already.”

Clementine looked like she wanted to complain further, but suddenly there was a knock at the door, causing the two of them to freeze. After a moment, there was another, louder knock, and a muffled voice from the front door.

“Clem? You in there? Come on, it’s freezing out here!” The voice whined towards the end of the sentence, and Violet could hear whoever it was sort of jumping around.

Clementine’s eyes widened and she pulled out her phone, checking the time before rising to her feet. “I didn’t realize how late it was, shit. I gotta let my friend in. Don’t worry, he’s cool. Well, he’s goofy, not cool, but I mean he won’t flip out about there being a strange vampire in my house thing. Just stay here while I get him.”

She was marching towards the front door before Violet could even really say anything, leaving the vampire to lean back and curl in on herself as she listened in.

There was the click of the lock and the squeak of the door opening being someone stumbled in, footsteps heavy.

“Thank you! God, I thought you were asleep for a second!”

There was a scoff followed by the loud rustle of fabric and the door slamming shut again.

“As if. You know I never fall asleep before midnight, Louis. Especially not on Halloween.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Hey, what’s that smell? You got a guest over?”

Footsteps, approaching the living room. Violet sat upright, fidgeting with her hands.

“Yes, actually. And tone it down, alright? This is an odd.. Situation.. And you’re sort of-”

“Loud, obnoxious, overbearing? Because I’d prefer to describe myself as fun, charismatic, and the life of the party,  _ Clem _ .”

“Oh shut up, you know I wouldn’t say that. To your face.”

Louis’s laughter boomed, growing louder as they drew closer to the living room. “Ouch! I’m hurt, Clementine! How could you wound me, your closest, dearest friend?”

Clementine stepped into the living room before him, making eyes contact with Violet before rolling her eyes. Violet visibly relaxed before turning her attention to the man behind her, immediately feeling silly for being afraid.

Louis had a large, friendly grin stretched across his face, hands comfortably placed into the deep pockets of his over sized coat. He stood tall and straight, although his head was tilted downward to seem less intimidating ( _ not that anyone could ever find him intimidating,  _ Violet thought, a small smile crossing her features.)

Louis seemed to finally notice the vampire and gave a friendly wave, eyes lighting up with curiosity. He brushed back some of the hair that was in his face before he spoke, his volume a bit lower than it had been before.

“Hey there! Name’s Louis, Louis Sulieman. I’m Clem’s best, and only-”

“No he isn’t-”

“Friend! We’ve known each other since we were still pups. If you ever want to know any super embarrassing-”

Clementine reached up and clamped a hand over his mouth, eyes narrowed and dark.

“Louis. If you value your life, please, tone it down.”

Louis glanced down at Clementine before licking her hand, prompting the brunette to pull it back with a look of disgust. Still grinning, Louis walked over to the corner and flopped down in the beanbag chair, hands crossed behind his head as he leaned back into it.

“Fine, fine. I won’t tell her anything. While you’re here, anyway.”

Though Violet normally found people that energetic and bubbly to be annoying and draining, she couldn’t help but grin, noting the other girl’s rising irritation as Clementine pinched the bridge of her nose.

Finally deciding to speak up, Violet shook her head, fixing her gaze back on the rather amicable man. “Name’s Violet. And for the sake of my safety, I think I’m gonna have to pass. For now at least.”

Clementine sighed and sat back down on the couch, arms crossed over her chest.

“I feel like I’ve just signed some sort of death warrant, letting you too meet.”

“Aw, come on, it’s not so bad,” Louis started, his tone jovial and light. “Now you can have  _ two  _ best friends. And we can tag team you so you’re never bored or lonely again! It’ll be great.”

Clementine just let out a louder, more exhausted sigh in response, throwing her head back as she did so. Violet covered her mouth with her hand to muffle her snicker.

“So! Vi,” Violet’s eyes shot back to Louis as he spoke. “You’re a vampire, I take it? You guys have a pretty unique scent, but I could have a cold or somethin’. You never know.”

Violet just nodded, uncrossing her arms as she sat upright. “Yeah, I am. I can’t tell what you are, though. Werewolf like Clem here, maybe? My sense of smell has been dodgy lately.”

“Close, honestly. I’m technically a rougarou. French Louisianian creature; they get mistaken for the loup-garou, which is sort of like a werewolf, a lot.”

“I think I might’ve heard of those before. Lot of contradicting stuff, though.”

Louis shrugged. “Yeah, some of that’s on purpose. Rest of the contradiction is just cause there’s not many of us left. Hard to know for sure what you are when there’s no one left to teach you.”

“That’s why he hangs out with me, though.” Clementine added in, smiling softly. “Easier to pretend he’s a werewolf, if anyone unsavory tries to track down rougarous. Then I can claim he’s part of my pack and they’ll usually leave us be.”

“That makes sense, I guess. Kind of like how some vampires cling to their clans? And various fae to their courts.”

Clementine and Louis both nodded in response, sporting their own pleased expressions.

“Yeah, exactly like that. Except Clem here doesn’t actually have a pack.”

Violet gave the werewolf a questioning look, curiosity bright in her olive eyes. Clementine squirmed beneath her gaze for a moment before straightening up, frowning.

“I used to have a pack. Two, actually. But every pack I’m in just- bad things happen. So I prefer to keep to myself.”

Violet’s gaze softened as Clementine seemed to grow somber, and she started to apologize before being cut off.

“It doesn’t really matter. It’s been years since all that stuff happened, and I don’t really see a need to be part of a pack. I mean, in this day and age, you can live by yourself just fine. You aren’t bound to the old rules anymore, no one is. So long as you can keep up to speed through the local community or some online forums, you’re good.”

Violet stilled offered a sympathetic hug to the werewolf, which she eagerly accepted, immediately seeming to cheer up.

“Enough about all of that. Louis was actually here for our yearly movie marathon. Right, Lou?”

The rougarou nodded excitedly, holding his coat open to dig around in some inside pockets. “I brought some Halloween classics this time! Not all of them are super scary or gory. Like this, for example!” Louis pulled out a case and tossed it over to Clementine, who caught it without much effort.

“Aw sweet, I love this movie! I was so upset when we couldn’t find my copy of it last year.”

Violet peaked over her shoulder to read the title, confused by the whole process but eager to learn.

“Hocus Pocus?”

Clementine seemed to remember the vampire’s disposition and seemed to shake with excitement, startling the other girl as she sprung up off the couch. “Oh man, there’s so much I’ve got to show you. Lou, start setting up the room for the marathon. Vi, come with me to the kitchen. I can explain all of this to you while I get the snacks ready!”

She set down the movie and ran off, not waiting to make sure the other two had accepted or processed the orders. Violet blinked and turned to Louis, who shrugged.

“I’d follow her if I were you. But don’t worry, you’ll probably dig it.”

Still confused, she simply nodded, leaving the man to do whatever it was Clementine expected him to do.  _ Time to ask what a movie is, I guess? _


	2. Chapter 2

Movie night had been fun, if not a bit bizarre. Seeing how human stereotypes for vampires progressed over the years was certainly entertaining, at least.

* * *

 

_ “Yeah, humans are awful at this sorta stuff,” Louis said through a mouthful of popcorn, much to Clementine’s displeasure. “I mean, sometimes they get so painfully close and then they just- swing and miss!” He threw his hands up and nearly knocked over an open bag of pretzels, scrambling to grab it before any could spill. _

_ Clementine fixed him with a hard glare, which softened as he nervously chuckled and apologized. She rolled her eyes and glanced over at Violet to continue the conversation, ignoring the movie for the time being. “There have been some especially close calls though. Like, this really buggy game I found a few years back? It had a bunch of different vampire clans in it, with a lot of accurate information. I think there was a huge fiasco after it was released; a witch hunt sort of deal to figure out who leaked all their business to a human gaming company. It was an internal affair so I don’t really know how it concluded.” _

_ “Wow. I mean, what sort of stuff did they get wrong then?”  _

_ Clementine seemed to think for a moment, then nodded to herself. “Yeah, that’s it. They got the whole feeding thing wrong, and a few aspects of vampire life. Things like how blood consumption actually has a noticeable effect on you guys, right?” _

_ Violet nodded, eyes moving back to the screen as she leaned into the couch. “The more blood we consume, the more.. Alive we become, I suppose. Obviously we’re still undead,” she paused for a moment, struggling with the wording. “The blood is sort of absorbed, I guess. Instead of digesting? It goes back into our bloodstream and revives bodily functions, like heartbeats, and more lively colored skin. It has its advantages, for blending in with humans, but it also has some severe disadvantages in that we can be poisoned through the very blood we ingest.” _

_ Clementine and seemed to consider that, nodding slowly, and opened her mouth to say something- only to be cut off by Louis. _

_ “Man, I love this part! Vi, you gotta see this-” _

_ The conversation died from there, moving on to other topics as they all turned their attention back to the film. _

* * *

 

Violet shook her head, looking around at the various trash that had been left out from the marathon. Louis had left a few hours before, but she and Clementine had continued, up until the werewolf had fallen asleep on her. The vampire was making a conscious effort not to wake up her host, though she was growing uncomfortable in her somewhat twisted position. Her neck was starting to ache.

She gave a soft sigh before looking up at the TV, watching the menu screen displayed. It had been like that for hours, for numerous reasons; the first being that, from her current spot, she couldn’t reach the remote, and the second being that she had no idea how to work the device. The gentle droning of music had been on a loop for so long that Violet had finally managed to tune it out, but now found herself in a growing state of drowsiness. 

_ What time is it? I feel like it’s daytime, but I really can’t be sure…  _ She frowned, squinting at the hallway that lead to the front door. She couldn’t see it from here, but she also couldn’t see any light either.  _ Guess Clementine doesn’t have one of those doors with the window panes in them, or whatever they are. Suppose it’s better for privacy’s sake. _

Almost as if summoned by her thoughts the werewolf let out a low groan, muffled against Violet’s shoulder. The vampire felt embarrassment creeping up on her, looking down as unruly brown hair brushed against her throat. Clementine’s already firm grip tightened, almost literally crushing the breath out of her as Violet gave an involuntary, soft hiss.

The grip loosened as the werewolf started to set up, mumbling something under her breath as she raised a hand to rub at her eyes. “I’m sorry, did I-” her sentence was interrupted by a small yawn as Clementine blinked, pulling herself up off of the vampire. “Did I fall asleep on you?”

Violet nodded, wincing as she rubbed at the back of her neck. “Yeah, but don’t worry about it. You were warm, which was kinda nice.” Her throat was dry, leaving her voice sort of scratchy again. “Do you have a clock or something? I’ve got no idea what time it is out there.”

Clementine nodded after a moment, still in a sort of daze. She stood and stretched out rather languidly before reaching into her pocket, pulling out her phone. She winced at the brightness before quickly turning it down, shaking her head.

“It’s about ten o’clock. Did you sleep at all?”

“Not really,” she answered with a shrug, pulling herself up into a sitting position. “Probably should though. Get some rest in for if you decide to drag me around tonight.”

“That’d be for the best. I’ll see if anyone can come keep watch, for that monster hunter guy. And maybe bring you something to eat.”

Violet almost expected her stomach to growl at the aspect of food, but quickly realized that the ( _low grade_ ) blood she had been given last night had finished its run. The ache was mostly mental now, and it would take awhile before it started giving her physical pain again.

“Yeah, food would probably be good. I can go without for a while longer, but after that it’ll start being a real issue.”

She noticed the worried look on Clementine’s face and gave her what she hoped was a reassuring smile, slowly rising to her feet. “Don’t worry too much, I’ve gone way longer than this without. It’ll only be an issue if I stay on empty for, say, another twenty-four hours, and you decide to use me as a pillow again.”

The werewolf rolled her eyes and quickly turned away, hiding her burning face as she tapped away at her phone. “You can take my bed while I’m out today, if you want? It’d probably way more comfortable.”

“Definitely. I have literally slept in coffins more comfortable than that couch.” 

Violet grimaced as Clementine shook her head, waving the vampire away with a slight smile. “Yeah, yeah. Go sleep, you overgrown mosquito. I’ll see if Louis is awake and free. If he isn’t, I’ll ring up another friend of mine and introduce you before I head out. Just so you don’t freak out if they’re rooting around.”

Violet hummed in response before shuffling off to Clementine’s room, eager to sleep in a real bed for once. Clementine waited until the vampire was out of sight before hitting the call button, holding the phone in place with her shoulder as she started picking up the trash from the night before.

The phone rang three times before Louis picked up, voice deceptively cheerful for how early it was; she knew damn well the man didn’t wake up this early unless forced, but his excitable tone and nearly infectious energy didn’t tapper out even now.

“Well _gooooooooood_ morning, Clementine! To _what_ do I owe the pleasure of hearing your lovely voice so early?”

“Do you ever run out of energy?” Her tone was a deadpan, and she could hear Louis’ howling laughter crackle through the phone. From the sound of it, he’d pulled his phone away to do so, and she was very thankful for that small mercy.

“Come on, Clem! You should know the answer to that by now,” he practically sang through the receiver, followed by the faint rustle of fabric. “Seriously though, what’s up? You’re never up this early.”

“Actually, I do get up this early. Quite regularly, even. It’s you being up that’s the real shocker here.”

Louis scoffed. “I mean, I guess that’s fair, but rude.”

Clementine rolled her eyes, taking the empty bags in her hand to the trash can before she continued. “I was going to ask if you were free today. I forgot to ask last night, but I need someone to keep an eye on the house ‘til I get back.”

“Oh,” he replied, his tone thoughtful. The line was silent for a moment before he continued, his voice softer this time. “No, actually, I’m not. I’m visiting the cemetery today, remember?”

Clementine froze for a moment, mentally punching herself a thousand times over. She’d completely forgotten, and was immediately filled with an immense guilt.

“Shit, Lou. I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright,” he gave a half-hearted chuckle, trying to keep things light as always. “I never really remind you about it, so it’s not your fault. I could swing by after, but-”

“No, no it’s alright. I’ll see if Gabe and Mariana are free, don’t worry about it.”

There was a moment of silence over the line, and for a moment she was worried the call might’ve dropped.

“Yeah. Probably for the best. Wouldn’t want to break the persona your new _girlfriend_ got to see last night.”

She nearly tripped as she headed back into the living room, an incoherent noise escaping her as she threw her arms out and caught herself before she could fall.

“ _She is **not** -_”

Louis just cackled in response, good mood seemingly restored.

“ _Damn_ I wish I could’ve seen the look on your face! You are way too easy to fuck with, Clem.”

She growled, mostly out of her embarrassment, ready to launch any sort of counterattack, but was once again interrupted.

“I’ve gotta go, you useless bi. I’ll call you later if I’m up for it, but until then, _see ya_!”

The line went dead with a click, and Clementine put the phone down for a moment to rub at her face. She cared very deeply for Louis, but he knew how to drain her instantly with the least amount of words possible. 

She sighed before scrolling down to Mariana’s number, opting to call the (arguably) more reliable sibling; she was likely to be awake, and if she was, she never ignored her phone calls if she could help it. As expected, the phone only had to ring once before it was picked up.

“Hey, Clem! What’s up? Looking for my idiot brother?”

There was a distinct _“hey!”_ from the other end of the line, causing both girls to laugh. She heard the echo as she was put on speaker.

“Both of you, actually. Either of you free right now? I need someone to watch my house today, and maybe pick up some questionable things for me?”

Gabe’s voice came through first, an almost puppy-like excitement in his tone. “Yeah, sure!”

“Hang on,” came his sister’s reply, her tone still upbeat, but with a layer of curiosity to it as well. “What kind of questionable things? Not anything illegal, right?”

“No, nothing illegal. Maybe? Actually, _is it_ illegal to carry around and deliver blood bags?”

“... Hold up, _what_?” Gabe seemed mostly confused, if not slightly shocked by the question. She’d asked for more concerning things before, after all.

“It’s sort of a long story. I met this vampire out in the woods behind my house? I’m letting her stay here, but if you wanna know more than that you gotta come over, and quick. I gotta get to the mayor’s office before it closes.”

There was muffled talking on the other end, and Clementine sat back down on the couch as she waited, used to their antics by now.

Eventually Mariana spoke up, presumably headed outside, based on the sounds of doors opening and closing. “You’re lucky Francine and Conrad are working the blood bank today. We’ll be over in ten, tops.”

“Thanks, Mari,” Clementine smiled, leaning back into the cushions. “You’re a lifesaver. You too, Gabe.”

The Garcia siblings both gave their goodbye’s before hanging up. She tucked her phone into her pocket and sat back for a moment, trying to plan out how she’d go about this.

_ Introduce Gabe and Mari to Vi, give them brief rundown of events. Book it to the mayor’s office before preternatural hours close. Set up meeting for tonight? No, tomorrow, if necessary at all. Meet up with Sarah and see about getting Vi some more modern clothes. Make a group chat with everyone else to give them a basic rundown of events? _

She shook her head with a sigh, getting back up to check in on Violet. She’d need the vampire up and running, at least long enough for the first part of her hastily made wire-frame plan. Then, the blonde could go right back to bed, and Clementine could blaze through everything else with ease.

She knocked lightly on her door and paused before opening it, peeking her head in.

“Vi? You still up?”

“ _Regretfully_ ,” came the muffled response, and Clementine took it as the okay to step into the room. Not that she really needed one, since it was her room she was entering.

Violet was face down on the bed, one arm bent above her head and the other twisted at an odd angle at her side. Her hair was sticking up everywhere in the back, and the only words the werewolf could think up to describe the scene were _“cute”_ and _“very huggable.”_

Clementine walked over to the side of the bed and sat down, smiling brightly while the vampire merely groaned.

“Is it time for me to get up and meet people?” She sounded disappointed by the idea, and Clementine couldn’t blame her; meeting people wasn’t always a fun experience, and she had no way of knowing how long the vampire had been going without proper rest. Laying down on this bed was probably the most comfortable thing Violet had experienced in a while.

“No, not yet. They’ll be here in a few minutes though.”

Violet just groaned again, this time much longer. She didn’t bother holding back her laughter, watching as the vampire lifted her head up and turned to fix her with a pleading stare.

“Do I have to meet them? What if I just stay in here and wait for you to come back.”

“Considering they’re bringing you food…”

That got Violet to perk up, rolling over onto her back so she could sit up and face Clementine properly.

“Alright, alright, I’ll meet them. It would be rude if I didn’t, right?”

Clementine just rolled her eyes with a grin, glad to see the vampire wasn’t feeling too awful.

“Yep. After you meet them you can go right back to bed if you want, I honestly wouldn’t blame you. Mari and Gabe will probably try to do some sort of Q and A with you though.”

Violet stared at her blankly, and it took Clementine a moment to realize why.

“Oh, sorry. Question and answer; they’ll just ask you a bunch of generic questions to get to know you. Or try to, at least. I’ll tell them to let you rest if you want me to though.”

Violet shrugged. “I’ll meet them before I decide whether or not I’ve got enough energy for it.”

“If you have to work that out, you probably don’t.”

Violet chuckled, laying back down with her arms crossed behind her head. “Probably not. I’ve never been much for socializing, if I’m honest. Sort of do my own thing, for the most part. Really only spoke with a handful of people before…” She trailed off, eyes growing dark as she started up at the ceiling. She shook her head. “Sorry. That’s a story for another time.”

Clementine’s gaze softened, frowning before looking around the room idly.

“It’s alright. Maybe we can talk about it later, if you want?” She glanced back over her shoulder, a little too hopeful, with a friendly smile tugging at her lips.

But Violet returned the smile, eyes still dark as she nodded. “Yeah. Maybe when you get back?” She turned her gaze back to the ceiling, the smile slipping away. “You remind me of someone I used to know. I don’t know if that’s why, but you’re pretty easy to talk to. Trustworthy. Anyone told you that before?”

“A few people,” she admitted, noting the slight vibration of her phone in her pocket. “I try to be someone people can come to. I won’t let myself be pushed over or anything, but I try to be here for the people that need me.”

She stood up and cleared her throat, pulling out her phone to see a text from Gabe; they were turning onto her street now. She turned to Violet, forcing a smile onto her face as she offered up her hand.

“They’re gonna be here in a second, so you gotta get up now.”

Violet took her hand without hesitation, pulling herself up and out of the bed. “These friends of yours. What are they?”

“Valid question. Gabe’s a werewolf, but his sister Mari is a witch. Gabe was turned a few years back and his uncle came to me for help.” She smiled at the memory, recalling Javi’s almost comical panic in deep contrast to Gabe’s unbridled excitement; he had been one of the only human members of his family, so being turned had been a wish come true for him. 

“Huh, cool. Haven’t met a witch in a while. Natural born?”

“Yep. I think her mother was one, if I’m not mistaken. The Garcia’s are a charming little mixed bag of magic, really.”

There was a knock as Clementine’s phone vibrated again. She swiped the notification away as she headed for the door, Violet opting to hang back in the living room so she didn’t get hit by any stray strands of sunlight. She opened it up and grinned, pulling her friends into a hug that they quickly returned.

“Hey, Clem. So, we get to meet this mystery girl?”

Clementine rolled her eyes at Gabe, sharing a look with Mariana that caused Gabe to frown. “What's that look for? What'd I do?”

She stepped back and let the two come in, closing the door behind them after briefly glancing around outside. It seemed pretty clear outside, so far as she could see. For now, anyway.

“She’s in the living room. Try to go easy on her, you hellions.”

Mariana smiled sweetly, arms locked together behind her back. “Come on, I’m an absolute _angel_. I’ve got no idea what you’re talking about.”

Gabe rolled his eyes. “As if. You stir up just as much trouble as me; you’re not fooling anyone.”

“Maybe so, but I can keep my temper in check and get away with it. Unlike you, hermano.”

“Okay you two,” Clementine interrupted, hands raised as she stepped between them. “No bickering. I’ve got to introduce you both to Vi, and if you start arguing, it’s gonna take forever. Which I totally don’t have.”

The siblings shared a small glaring match before breaking off, both sporting playful smiles. “Sure. We’ll just argue after you leave.”

She just rolled her eyes in response, walking forward into the living room to see Violet sitting on the far side of the couch, arms crossed and posture slouched. Seeing the vague anxiousness in her olive eyes, Clementine sat down next to her, brushing their arms against one another with a reassuring smile. Violet returned it, sitting upright and looking past her as Mariana and Gabe entered the room. 

Gabe set down a large plastic bag on the coffee table, offering a tentative wave. “Hey there. I’m Gabe.”

Mariana gave a wave of her own, taking a spot on the couch next to Clementine before Gabe could. She gave him a smirk before turning back to Violet, holding out her hand. “Mariana Garcia, it’s nice to meet you.”

Gabe pouted before walking over to the bean bag chair, plopping down into it while trying not to look too annoyed.

Violet hesitated before reaching out with her own, shaking it with a gentle, cautious grip. “Violet. It’s nice to meet you too.”

Clementine smiled at the exchange, noting the determined look in the vampire’s eyes.  _ She’s trying to make a good impression. Now, is it because they’re my friends, or because they brought her some real food? _

She looked over at the bag, then at Gabe, pointing to it. “This the blood you got?”

He perked up as he was addressed, grinning and uncrossing his arms. “Yep! We got the allotted ration, plus a little extra. Francine wants us to fill her in next time she comes over for poker night with Javi.”

Clementine nodded, reaching forward and pulling the bag into her lap. Violet peered into it with her, pupils blowing up as the werewolf pulled out one of the smaller blood bags. She turned, noticing how his newfound friend was restraining herself.

“You want me to get a glass, or do you intend to just suck this thing dry like some sort of Capri Sun packet?

That seemed to snap her out of it, blinking a few times before meeting Clementine’s stare with one of confusion. “What’s a Capri Sun?”

“They’re these drinks that come in little, like, plastic packages I think?” Mariana piped up to answer, taking the vampire’s confusion in stride. “You puncture them with these straws that have pointed ends and then suck all the juice out.”

“Huh. Weird. I guess I can do that, but it sounds like it’d be kinda messy if I did.” Violet frowned, eyeing the bag with longing. “Probably better if I drank it out of a glass, like a normal person.”

“Pretty sure normal people don’t drink blood,” Gabe pointed out, shrugging. “More like normal vamp.”

Violet rolled her eyes. “Smart ass.”

“I’ll get you a glass, Vi.” 

Clementine put the blood back into the bag before getting up, headed back into the kitchen. As she left the room, she heard Mariana begin to ask Violet something, and slowly shook her head. Not even gone for a second and she pounced.  _ Always the inquisitive one, huh, Mari? _

She pulled out one of the blood bags before putting the rest in the fridge, checking the time on the microwave with a frown.  _ Damn. I gotta give this to Vi and head out, or else I won’t make it in time. _ She quickly and carefully drained the bag into a clean glass before throwing away the empty packet, making her way back to the living room as quickly as she could without spilling any of the liquid.

“Here, Vi, drink up.”

Violet turned and took the glass gratefully, smiling up at Clementine before taking a few greedy gulps of the blood. A drop of it managed to escape her mouth and trickle down her face, but she quickly caught it and wiped it off with the back of her hand, starting to feel the pleasant warm buzz of borrowed life once again.

“Gods that’s good. Thank you.”

“No problem,” Clementine replied, grinning before moving to grab her leather jacket off the chair in the corner. She shrugged it on as she turned to look at Gabe and Mariana, her gaze shifting between the two before she pulled out her phone and checked the time again on autopilot. “I’ve gotta head out now, or else I’ll miss the time frame entirely. Play nice. If Violet wants to sleep, you two better leave her be.”

“You go it, Clem,” Gabe shot back, giving a mock salute as he got up to move over to the couch.

“We’ll keep a close eye on the place. Do you care if we make lunch with your stuff?” 

Clementine looked over her shoulder, already headed to the door, and shook her head. “Nah, Mari, go ahead. Just make enough to save me some.”

“Sure thing. Good luck!”

Clementine waved before closing and locking the door behind her, turning on her heel and running over to her motorcycle. She hopped on and put on her helmet quickly, starting up the engine and quickly making her exit. She had twenty minutes until office hours closed; plenty of time, so long as she avoided traffic and took a few shortcuts.

She sped off, the rev of the motor vibrating in her chest, a determined look fixed across her face.

* * *

 

“I need to see Mayor Johnson, please. It’s urgent.” 

Clementine had her helmet tucked under one arm, the other folded beneath her as she leaned over the front desk. Her eyes flitted about, noting several humans and a few other preternatural scattered throughout the front lobby. Her eyes focused back on the receptionist, who gave a tired sigh, meeting her stare with a blank expression.

“Mayor Johnson is a busy woman, ma’am. I’ll need your name and what you’re here for, and then you’ll have to set an appointment.”

“Tell her Clementine Everett needs to see her, please.”

The receptionist’s expression went from blank to irritated, ready to say something before they were interrupted by a voice from behind her.

“Easy, there. I can take it from here.”

They both looked up, surprised. Behind the receptionist was Ava Johnson, the newly elected mayor, dressed in her usual, very casual blue jeans and leather jacket. She smiled at Clementine, although her eyes held a worried curiosity.

“Follow me back into the office. Oh, and,” Ava glanced down at the receptionist, who looked up anxiously. “If Mrs. Everett ever comes up here again, send her in. She doesn’t need to set appointments.”

The receptionist nodded quickly, turning back to their computer looking slightly pale. Clementine briefly felt pity for them, but quickly pushed it out of her mind as she followed Ava through the building.

The two were quiet until they were safely behind closed doors, Ava sitting down at her desk before gesturing for Clementine to sit down as well.

“It’s good to see you, Clem. I take it this isn’t a casual visit, though?”

Clementine shook her head as she sat down, placing the helmet in her lap. “Sorry, not this time, Ava. This is a.. Security issue, I guess. We might have a problem.”

Ava narrowed her eyes, concerned, and leaned forward. “What’s up, kid?”

Clementine began to recite the events from the night before, along with what Violet had told her, watching Ava’s expression shift as she went on.

“I can bring Violet here tomorrow, if you need me to, but we need to keep an eye out. This could be seriously bad news, for all of us, not just her.”

Ava nodded slowly, staring down at her desk with a contemplative expression. “Yeah. Shit. I’ll see if I can get in contact with the council on this, maybe pull some strings. I’ll also see if David can up the patrols in your neighborhood, to keep an extra pair of eyes out. Look into anyone matching that… incredibly vague description.” She grimaced, reaching for the phone sitting off to her right.

Clementine nodded, sensing that this was the end of their discussion. For now, at least. She stood up, putting the helmet underneath her arm again. “Should I bring Violet here tomorrow night? Or expect you to show up?”

Ava shook her head, thumb hovering over the call button as she looked up. “I’ll text you if I decide to head over, but don’t move her yet. We don’t know if this guy knows where she is yet, so if we keep her out of the public eye, it might be for the best. If it proves inconvenient for you, maybe something can be arranged but-”

“No, I’m more than happy to let her stay, it won’t be a problem.”

“Alright then. Thank you, Clementine. Let me know when you get home, okay? I’ll put out an alert about the situation in a bit.”

Clementine nodded once more, exchanging goodbyes before taking her leave.

_ Maybe I can ask Violet more about this monster hunter. We can do some research at the house and see if we can’t jog her memory. _

She put on the helmet and started up the motorcycle, sending Mariana a quick text to let her know she’d be back in an hour. She just had one more stop to make;  she needed to see Sarah Chaikin about some clothes.

* * *

 

About an hour later, Clementine was pulling into her driveway, feeling slightly drained. Sarah had been more than helpful, providing her with all sorts of clothes for Violet to try. The bag nearly hadn’t fit in the back compartment, but after a little rearranging, she managed to shut it. Clementine unlocked it and pulled the bag free, letting out a relieved sigh when she managed not to tear the plastic. She tossed her helmet into the compartment and locked it again, squinting up at the now cloudy sky before heading inside.

“Hey, I’m home!”

She walked in to see Violet and Gabe arguing about something on the couch, Mariana nowhere in sight; based on the sound she could vaguely place as coming from the kitchen, the girl was working on some sort of lunch for everyone. 

Violet reacted first, turning and glancing at the bag in her hands. “Welcome back. What’s in the bag?”

Clementine gently tossed it to the vampire, smiling. “Some clothes that will actually fit you. A friend of mine likes to make and alter clothes, so I asked her if she had anything that might work. She had a fair bit.”

“Feels like it, yeah.”

Gabe watched the exchange before speaking up, scratching at his neck idly. “Mariana’s in the kitchen making spaghetti. Since Violet won’t die if we add garlic, she’s going all out.”

“Oh, sweet. Been a long time since I got to have Mari’s spaghetti.”

“I just can’t wait to taste food again, honestly,” Violet sighed, putting aside the bag of clothes for later. “I could barely taste that popcorn stuff we were having last night, but even that, heavily spliced with the taste of ash, was absolute heaven to me.”

“Mari’s cooking is probably as close as any of us are getting to heaven,” Clementine stated with a hungry gleam in her eyes. “I would kill a man for her cooking. Which is probably why I’m not going to heaven, if it exists, but still.”

Gabe and Violet both laughed, Gabe’s more exaggerated and Violet’s soft and quiet. Clementine grinned before shaking her head, taking a seat on the couch between the two.

“Did I miss anything important?”

“Just Gabe asking criminally stupid questions.”

“Hey! They were perfectly valid!”

Clementine raised a brow, turning to face Violet. “Oh? Like what?”

“Oh, just, things. Things that I will hold over his head as blackmail material.”

Gabe frowned, crossing his arms with a huff. “I didn’t think you’d be so weird about it, otherwise I wouldn’t have asked, alright?”

Violet smirked, eyes narrowed evilly. “Ah, but you did. Which was honestly your mistake. I mean, you just met me, pup.”

Clementine just felt even more lost. “Wait, what did he ask? Seriously, tell meeeeeee.”

The whine and pout combo was usually quite effective, but Violet shook her head, hardly hesitating. “Sorry, wolfy. Unless Romeo here tries anything I don’t like, my lips are sealed.”

Gabe threw his hands up, groaning before getting off the couch. “I’m gonna see if Mari needs and help. And stop calling me pup. That’s weird.”

“Only when you grow up and gain actual wolf status!” Violet called after him, hands cupped around her mouth. 

Clementine just shook her head, grinning at the exchange. “Already finding ways to chase him off. And I only left you three for, what, an hour and a half? Two hours?”

“Probably two hours. It felt like forever though. No offense to your friends or anything, just,” the vampire frowned, shrugging with a conflicted expression. “They’re nice, but they don’t have that same sort of trustworthy air about them. Mari’s sneaky, but not in a malicious way, just playful for the most part. And Gabe is sort of hotheaded. Doesn’t really think things through if certain people are involved, just acts.”

The werewolf blinked, taking the analysis in with a hesitant nod. “Yeah, actually. You’re really good at reading people, huh?”

“Maybe you’re just bad at reading them,” she joked, prompting a light, friendly punch in the shoulder from the brunette. “But, yeah, I am, for the most part. Little rusty, but a couple centuries of practice and you start to pick things up.”

“That makes sense. You live long enough to see the patterns, sorta like I said preternaturals as a whole should be able to do, when we were talking last night.”

“Exactly like that.”

The two were silent for a moment, deciding to just enjoy the other’s company while listening to a muffled argument between the Garcia’s in the kitchen. Clementine looked up at the ceiling while Violet just sort of took her in, lost in her thoughts.

Clementine broke the silence after a moment, snapping Violet out of her reverie. “Oh, I almost forgot,” she started, sitting up and looking over to the vampire. “Are you alright staying here for a while? Inside? It might get a little boring, but it was recommended you stay inside. If the hunter lost your trail, being seen in public might thrown him back on it and all.”

Violet nodded almost immediately, looking surprised.  “I mean, sure. That gives me a chance to recover and get my strength back. And there are way worse places to be holed up for this.”

Clementine nodded as well, grinning at the blonde. “This gives us a chance to get better acquainted, too. If you want, anyway.”

“I think I’d like that, Clementine.”

They went back to their contented silence, Clementine’s eyes bright with excitement. She couldn’t wait to learn more about her new friend, and to show her more things brought about in the modern world. It would be fun, if nothing else.

Gabe suddenly poked his head into the living room, clearing his throat to catch the girls’ attention. “Hey, pasta’s done, you two.”

Clementine stood up and moved out of the way, waiting for Violet to come forward before walking alongside her on their way to the kitchen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorta,, wrote this in one night. oof.  
> hope it came out okay; if you catch anything weird or contradictory let me know and I'll fix it ASAP  
> (also sorry it's shorter than the first chapter. it's like, 6, almost 7 am and ive been writing on and off for a while,, time to sleep)
> 
> also. scrapped bit I was gonna add to the end but didnt. I was gonna have a bit of dialogue like "Vi you're gonna love this pasta" "we'll see" and then a line break followed by "I would fucking die again for this pasta" jkgtdgdkgjhgkdfs


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been writing on and off for so long because my attention span is just.. so short...  
> Anyhow, we get more of Violet's backstory in this chapter. Clem's might be in the next chapter, but if it is then it'll be much shorter, mostly because the general guidelines are similar to canon.   
> There are definitely some differences, but I feel like those might be better expressed in some sort of recap or a note like this at the end of the chapter. That way we can stand somewhat of a chance of meeting my self imposed Halloween deadline  
> god help me

After a ridiculously delicious lunch, Gabe and Mariana ended up leaving, the younger of the two explaining that Kate had texted her, asking them to come back and help her with something. Mariana had asked for more context, but just received a smiley face in return, which was pretty a pretty common response if it had something to do with magic. So, packing some of the spaghetti for their stepmom, they took their leave.

Violet had headed back into Clementine's room shortly after, feeling drowsy now that she had eaten her fill. That left Clementine by herself, sitting idly in the living room and scrolling through various apps on her phone. She was a good few hours into this when a notification suddenly popped up on screen; a text from David, of all people. She tried not to grimace as she tapped it, knowing her personal grievances with the man had to be put aside for now- at least while he was actually doing his job, instead of causing problems.

 

_ [3:39 P.M.]  _ **_Dickhead Garcia_ ** _ : Hello, this is David Garcia. Is this Clementine Everett? _

 

_ [3:39 P.M.]  _ **_bi-eowulf_ ** _ : yes, garcia _

_ [3:39 P.M.]  _ **_bi-eowulf_ ** _ : some of us actually save our contacts ya know _

_ [3:40 P.M.]  _ **_bi-eowulf_ ** _ : you dont need to introduce yourself every time you text someone _

 

_ [3:41 P.M.]  _ **_Dickhead Garcia_ ** _ : I wasn't sure if you kept my number. I guess I should have given you more credit.  _

_ [3:42 P.M.]  _ **_Dickhead Garcia_ ** _ : I'm contacting you with an update about the monster hunter situation you reported. _

 

That caught her attention. She sat upright, eyes narrowed and fixed on the moving grey dots as David continued typing. It took a moment before the next one came in, filling her screen with a wall of text. David only ever typed formally, but she supposed this time it could slide, given the topic.

 

_ [3:51 P.M.]  _ **_Dickhead Garcia_ ** _ : Although we didn't have much information to work with, there appears to have been a recent sighting of a suspicious man in town. Not within your neighborhood, but in the actual town. Based on the report one of my officers received, he was a tall man with short, dark hair, sporting a long brown coat that was noticeably bulky. He walked around, looking for something, but never went inside any of the buildings; just took a lot of odd, looping paths through alleys and backstreets. We didn't have anyone close enough to see his eyes. After about twenty minutes the officer lost track of him. We haven't seen him anywhere else, yet. _

 

"Shit," she murmured, running a hand through her hair. There was no telling if the man they saw was actually the monster hunter, but what were the odds of it being anyway else? This wasn't an especially large town; nothing of special interest to bring in droves of tourists, no nearby cities or attractions to rationalize coming here instead of anywhere else for a cheaper hotel room. But would it be worth it to tell Violet if it was a false alarm? Clementine frowned, not entirely sure what to do just yet.

 

_ [3:53 P.M.]  _ **_bi-eowulf_ ** _ : well shit _

 

_ [3:54 P.M.]  _ **_Dickhead Garcia_ ** _ : Normally I would refrain from using foul language while discussing matters like this, but "well shit" is correct. _

 

_ [3:54 P.M.]  _ **_bi-eowulf_ ** _ : thanks for letting me know _

_ [3:54 P.M.]  _ **_bi-eowulf_ ** _ : i mean ik its your job and all _

_ [3:54 P.M.]  _ **_bi-eowulf_ ** _ : and ava probably made you _

_ [3:55 P.M.]  _ **_bi-eowulf_ ** _ : but its appreciated _

 

_ [3:56 P.M.]  _ **_Dickhead Garcia_ ** _ : No problem, Clementine. If there are any updates, I'll let you know. _

 

Clementine closed the app, weighing her options with a grimace. Tell Violet and risk it being nothing, while also potentially freaking her out, or tell Violet nothing, and risk her getting caught off guard should something happen.

She stood up, heading back to her bedroom. The vampire would probably be asleep for awhile longer, and while she wasn't about to wake her up, she did want to tell her as soon as possible. Waiting in the room just seemed like the better option.

Plus, if she was being honest with herself, sitting out in the living room alone was dull. She'd play video games or something if anyone was on, but Louis was off the table for the day and Gabe was... Well, he wasn't the best at the kinds of games she excelled at. For the few they both owned, anyway.

She opened the door slowly before slipping in, casting a brief glance at the bed before sitting down by her desk. The vampire was sound asleep, somewhat curled inward with her back facing the door, hopelessly tangled in the sheets. Clementine was pretty sure she was also clutching onto a stuffed wolf plush she'd gotten a few years back, but she couldn't tell without getting a closer look. A closer look that she definitely wouldn't be risking, in case Violet woke up and flew into a panic because someone was hovering over her.

Clementine just turned the chair back towards the desk and opened her laptop, putting on the set of headphones she'd left plugged in the day before. She'd pass the time by watching a few youtube videos, hoping her subscription feed had enough new content to fill the hours.

* * *

 

Violet rubbed at her eyes as she woke up, vision blurry, vaguely aware of someone's muffled laughter coming from behind her. Uncurling, she rolled onto her back, the hand working at her eyes dropping to cover her mouth as she yawned. With a few bleary blinks she could see once again, gaze shifting instinctively to where the noise was coming from. She felt the edging anxiety slip as she identified the source; her werewolf host, mouth covered and eyes fixed to her screen, something over her ears- presumably, she couldn't hear Violet's movement.

The vampire relaxed and focused on untangling herself from the blankets, one arm still clutching the little wolf toy she'd spotted on the corner of Clementine's bed. She hardly noticed it was still in her grip, unconsciously pulling it up to her chest as she sat up and got to her feet. This was a much more pleasant awakening than any she'd had in the last few months, certainly- a real bed, warmth, and a friendly companion. 

She smiled at the thought, slowly making her way over to the brunette. She leaned down, chin settling on the top of Clementine's head, one arm wrapping around the chair and the girl while the other continued to protectively clutch the fuzzy plushie.

"G'morning," she mumbled, a chuckle vibrating in her throat at her host's slight jump.

"Jesus Christ, Vi!" Clementine gave a sigh, trying to fake irritation, although her body language implied anything but. "Did you sleep well at least, you ass?"

Violet's laugh was more of a breathless huff, her smile turning into more of a toothy grin. "Yeah, really well. It's been ages since I slept in a real bed." She pulled away and stretched, backing up as Clementine took off her headphones and turned the chair around.

"I'm glad. I hope I didn't wake you up, I was trying to be quiet but-"

"Nah, don't worry about that; I woke up on my own time. How long was I out for?"

Clementine glanced over her shoulder before replying, squinting to see the time displayed. "Probably.. about.. six hours? I honestly expected you to sleep for longer, but it's probably good that you woke up now."

Violet tilted her head at that, brow furrowing. "Why? What's up?"

She watched the werewolf's smile shift into a frown, hands locking together as she leaned forward in the chair. Her amber eyes were fixed on the ground at first, full of worry, before she met Violet's questioning stare and held it. Her gaze softened.

"Well, I got some news earlier, potentially related to that hunter who's been following you?"

The vampire froze up for a moment before moving to sit back down on the bed, a little anxious bubble forming in her chest. She set the wolf toy down. "Yeah?"

"They aren't sure if it's him or not, since no one was close enough to see his eyes," Clementine began, trying to soothe her. Violet figured her eyes must have given away her building dread. "So try not to freak out too bad. He wasn't seen in the neighborhood- not so far. If this is the same guy, he was seen wandering around town, looking for something. If it's him, he doesn't know you're here."

The blonde nodded slowly, her arms crossing together loosely. She was fighting the urge to dig her nails into them; she didn't want to waste the blood on healing self inflicted wounds. Clementine moved to sit next to her, one hand resting on her thigh as the werewolf tried to get her attention again.

"Vi? Vi, it's alright. He doesn't know you're here, and so long as we're careful, he never will." Her tone was soft, an underlying edge of confidence just beneath it. "I wanted to let you know, just in case. I didn't think it would be right to keep it from you."

Violet took a deep breath and closed her eyes, holding it before letting go. Feeling a bit better, she finally tilted her head so Clementine could see her face better, olive eyes dull. "Thank you. Sorry, I just-"

"Don't apologize, I understand. Really. You don't owe me an explanation for anything."

She was quiet for a moment before uncrossing her arms, one hand resting lightly on Clementine's. She didn't have to force the small smile that came after, noticing the one that crossed Clementine's features at the gentle touch.

"Thank you."

"No problem," came the werewolf's warm reply, eyes bright with determination. "I promise nothing will happen to you. So long as I can help it, anyway."

If she allowed herself a moment to really think about it, Violet wholeheartedly believed her. Clementine's infectious warmth came over her bit by bit, eyes lighting up a little.

"Don't go knight in shining armor on me, Clem. I can put up one hell of a fight when I need to." She playfully butted their shoulders together, smirking.

Clementine's toothy grin came back quickly, sitting upright with a breathy laugh. "Oh, I believe you. I'm just offering a little extra support here."

"What, you wanna be my guard dog?"

Clementine's immediate pout prompted a small giggle from Violet, and the werewolf decided that she rather liked the sound, even if it was coming at her own expense.

"I like the knight position better. But I mean, wouldn't I be both? Technically speaking."

"Yeah, you kinda would."

They both kept up the back and forth banter for a bit, going on until the topic eventually died out, now in much higher spirits. Violet and Clementine had moved to lay down across the bed, legs hanging off the side and arms crossed behind heads or over chests; there was no room to stretch them out flat, either hitting the walls or each other should they go anywhere but down.

It was a comfortable silence while it lasted, but Violet eventually broke it, remembering something from earlier in the day.

"It, uh, might be a bit of a mood killer," she started, voice faltering and growing soft. "But I did say I'd talk about, like, my past and stuff. If you still want to, that is."

Clementine looked over at her, rolling over onto her side after a moment. "If you want to, sure. I'd love to get to know you better." She shifted an arm under her head, propping herself up. "I can tell you some stuff about me too, if it helps. We don't have to get into anything messy if you don't feel comfortable with that."

Violet met her gaze out of the corner of her eye, a reassuring smile flitting across her features. "Yeah, I'm sure. Wouldn't have suggested it if I wasn't." She looked back up at the ceiling, hands locked together just above her stomach. It felt eerily reminiscent of the two times she'd been entombed. She tried not to think about it too much.

She was silent for a little longer before she spoke up again, her voice steady and calm. "Did you ever hear the legend of the Violet Knight?"

Clementine shook her head after a moment, looking curious and confused. "Should I have?"

Violet just shrugged. "A lot of people used to talk about it. Mostly preternatural folk, but towards the end, humans too." She closed her eyes, a sort of hollow feeling taking over. "If you couldn't tell by the name, that was me. It's part of why I don't tell any preternatural people I run into my name. Humans don't know my full name; I was never quite as significant in their history. But to our kind?" She paused, eyes half lidded as she gave a bitter smile. "I burned holes in a lot of family trees. Pissed off a lot of people, but no one was brave of foolish enough to come find me."

She let that sink in, watching as a look of understanding fell over the werewolf. She kept talking before any questions could be asked, deciding to save the brunette's breath.

"I killed a lot of creatures, centuries ago. It was for the first few hundred years after I turned. I was let loose without knowing what I'd become, only feeling angry. When you first turn, if the asshole that turned you decides not to play tutor? You're a loose cannon. Everything is too much and not enough, and there's a deep aching hunger burning in your guts, driving you mad until you just... snap

"I killed someone. Not important who, but honestly? They deserved it. But it didn't stop there. Since no one had taught me what to do, I was sloppy- left quite the trail, and eventually people began to follow it. Other vampires, at first, who tried to stop me. But I was young, scared, and stupid. I thought they'd kill me, so I killed them first.

"There were other creatures that tried to find me after that, but I just kept fighting. I don't even know I did it, honestly. That's where the legend started picking up, and it only grew with time, until I finally managed to disappear almost completely. I still had to fight now and again, but mostly it was on my terms. Some sleazy human scumbag cornering someone else in an alley, or a would be murderer. I'd lost faith in humanity for a long time, even before I was turned, but I still had sympathy. I wasn't entirely a monster."

She paused again, half expecting to see horror across Clementine's face. But there was nothing there but curiosity, and something Violet couldn't identify.

"So when did it all change?"

A hush fell over them, the weight of the name on her tongue choking her. It was still so fresh. She knew it happened long ago, but while she slept, time hadn't passed for her, aside from fleeting dreams and reshaped memories that became obscured by a deep and persistent darkness. It hurt to think about, but she had to accept it.

"It all changed when I met Minerva, I guess." Violet's voice dropped to a whisper, strained to keep steady. She felt the warmth from phantom flames against her skin, eyes stinging before she shut them tight. "She... She was in trouble, when I first saw her. Running through the forests at night, trying to escape this guy that was chasing her. She'd been injured, already stumbling around, and then she tripped. He was catching up- was almost on her when I dropped down to help. He was dead  before his torch hit the dirt, and my actions frightened her deeply.

"It took a long time before she stopped jumping every time I reached out towards her. I'd brought her to my home and kept her there for a while, so I could help her heal. When she left, I didn't expect her to come back."

"But she did, didn't she?" Clementine asked in the pause, her voice soft and almost sad- like she knew where the story would head, eventually.

Violet nodded, opening her eyes once more to stare blankly at the ceiling.

"My home was charmed, no one could see it without already knowing it was there, but somehow she kept finding her way back. I still don't know if she'd actually been awake when I carried her off that first night; I could have sworn she fainted after I killed that man. She brought little gifts when she'd stop by. Small things like flowers, little wooden figures someone in her village carved. Sometimes even leftovers of things she'd cooked for her family. She even brought along her brother sometimes. He was a good kid." 

She smiled, taking brief reprieve in the happy memories. They were so few and far between, all so precious and dear to her.

"Spending time with them was the closest I ever got to feeling loved. To feeling like things could still be okay. But eventually our luck ran out."

Clementine reached out and put a hand above Violet's linked ones, a deep empathy ebbing and flowing like water under her skin. Violet moved her hands to hold on to Clementine's, meeting her gaze after a brief pause.

"It was the autumn before I sealed myself away when Tenn came to me, in the dead of night, shaking like a leaf. I remember him speaking, and when the words had finally strung together, it was like my entire body was filled with snow and ice. I left him in my home and ran like hell, trying to get to their town before these people could take the one thing I had left. But by the time I got there, the pyre had already been lit."

She could distinctly remember the violent rage that scorched her lungs after she realized she was too late. That hellish burn that made her skin crawl and itch and her eyes water over, red vision somehow both blurry and hyper focused in the same moment. She remembered the fear in all their eyes before she launched herself upon them, delivering holy retribution in the most unholy of ways. A true monster in the moonlight; a demon of justice, hands and teeth stained red.

It took a moment before she snapped out of it, Clementine gently shaking her with a frantic concern in her eyes. Violet blinked, then shook her head, grimacing.

"I lost control again, that night. Just clawed and bit and  _ killed  _ until every single one of them was nothing but wasted flesh beneath my feet. Some of the ones who'd stayed home, refused to take part in their witch hunts- they're the ones who passed it on in human myth. But I guess there wasn't nearly as many people that lived to talk about it as I thought."

The atmosphere was heavier now, and Violet anxiously gnawed at the inside of her cheek, afraid of what the werewolf would say or do now that she had laid her past out on the table to be picked apart. There was so much still unsaid, even in all that information she had just churned out, afraid of stopping entirely if she failed to keep pushing. 

Clementine just swiftly moved closer and pulled the vampire up into a tight hug, heartbeat rapid in her chest. Violet sat there, limp and stunned, listening to the hectic rhythm while her mind reeled. She was barely able to focus when the werewolf finally spoke up.

"I'm so sorry, Violet."

She didn't say anything else, just held Violet close until the vampire returned the embrace, albeit more gently. Violet let herself take a moment just to exist like this, clearing her thoughts and pinning herself to the present. All the warmth and unshaken loyalty that she had no idea how she earned- just knowing it felt wonderful and strange. She smiled, glad her face was hidden as she pushed back tears. 

She felt the werewolf's grip slacken but didn't pull back, giving herself another moment to bask in a warm, fuzzy feeling that had started to move through her. Her chest still hurt, but it was much more bearable now, the pain dulled by this new, pleasant buzz.

She pulled back, clearing her throat. "So that's... that's that, really. I know it's really heavy but now you know."

"I know this was tough to talk about, but thank you for telling me. I... I'm glad you trust me enough, and feel comfortable enough with me, to talk about the heavy shit. Even if we haven't really known each other all that long."

Violet shook her head, gaze soft as she rolled over onto her back once more. "Only been like, what, almost two days? Might sound really weird, but I already feel like I've known you a lifetime. Although, now  _ you're  _ the one with the mysterious past."

Clementine rolled her eyes, sitting upright after a moment. "It's a long, tangled, tragic mess. How about," she started, poking Violet's stomach with a grin. "We get dinner settle first? Then it'll be my turn to throw my heart under the scalpel."

Violet frowned at the poke, sitting up and curling inward to protect herself from further prodding, mostly for the sake of being melodramatic. "That sounds good to me. I don't really need much blood yet, but I'm ready to try more foodstuffs."

"Good. Because I've got a  _ great  _ idea..."

 


End file.
